Jet Set Radio Advance
Jet Set Radio Advance is a Game boy Advance game in the Jet Set Radio series. It was released in 2001 in Japan, and has the same plot, character, and setting as Jet Set Radio, but was developed by Vicarious Visions instead of Smilebit, the developers of the original. The game was published by THQ. This game was released on June 26, 2003 in North America and February 20, 2004 in Europe. Plot Like in the Dreamcast version, the player assumes the role of the GG's, a gang of graffiti-spraying youths, led by Beat (who is also the first playable character). The Rokkaku group and the Tokyo-to construction conglomerate have teamed up to clamp down on the "rudies", the game's term for the law-breaking teenagers. The object of the game is to "Tag" certain parts of the surroundings before the time limit runs out or "before the indomitable array of cops arrives". Comparison With Console Version The GBA version of Jet Set Radio is very different compared to the Dreamcast and HD releases, as the GBA is technically inferior. However, while many compromises were made to fit the GBA format, this version also sports some features not found in the console versions. *Soundtrack was reduced to 6 samples of tracks from the full game. Audio quality was reduced drastically and many voice samples are absent. The tracks have also been greatly reduced in length. *Grind Square and Bantam Street have been "combined" into a single Grind City level. Consequently, both levels of Chapter 2 take place in the same level with only minimal differences in tag spots and enemy placement. *The Tokyo-to Jet levels are still accessible in Chapter 2. In the console game, Chapter 2 is locked to Grind City. *Moving cars that the player can hold onto only appear in the steep section of Shibuya-cho, unlike the console version where they appear throughout Shibuya-cho and Benten-cho. *Many Graffiti Souls were moved to easier-to-reach locations. *After spraying a helicopter, it continues to launch missiles for a while, though erratically and not targeting the player specifically, unlike the console version in which it crashes to the ground and catches fire. *The game plays in an isometric perspective at all times, and the camera is not changeable. This is due to the GBA not supporting full 3D graphics, creating this need. When characters are under structures, they turn translucent to indicate the characters' position. *Captain Onishima's bullets and the tear gas deployed by the S.W.A.T. teams are more deadly, causing much more damage in the GBA version. *No bonus is given for performing a Turn Trick. *The Final Stage is completely different and lacks its own music (or Goji himself for that matter). *Tab is again called Corn, as he is in the Japanese version of Jet Set Radio. *A Retry option is implemented; it allows the player to instantly restart the current level or mission without having to exit to the Garage and come back. A Sleep option is also present which places the GBA in sleep mode to conserve battery life. *The game only has 3 save slots, but they show the percentage of completion, which is not the case in other versions. *The Radio (sound player) option can be accessed from the pause menu at any time, and allows manual selection of the music track being played in the current level. This also works in the Garage. *No characters can be seen in the garage unless the player is selecting one. When selecting one, they are all standing and dancing, unlike the console version where they are in various poses. *A multiplayer mode is implemented which cannot be found on any other version. *Rival gang members can be knocked down during chases, making it easier to tag them. However, touching them, even if they are knocked down, will also knock down the player. *During racing missions, the pause menu shows the route the player must take to the graffiti tag, unlike the console version which only shows the position of the rival instead. *Boosting can be done as long as the button is held, unlike the console versions, which have a cooldown period after 5 skates. *The custom graffiti editor only allows for modification of a small-size graffiti, but is surprisingly much more robust than the console version's, with more advanced tools like shapes and the paint bucket. *Trick names are different. *Chapter names are also different, based on time instead of characters. For example, Chapter 1 is called "In the Streets of Tokyo-to" instead of simply "GG", Chapter 2 is "Six Months Earlier" as opposed to "Cube and Combo", and Chapter 3 is "Present Day" as opposed to "Golden Rhinos". **Furthermore, according to these titles, Chapter 2 is set "six months earlier", as opposed to two months, which is what Combo claims in Jet Set Radio. *DJ Professor K is not voiced at all. In addition, some of his text dialogue is new and/or rewritten, and some scenes are shifted around, usually played at the opening of a level as opposed to after. He is also a playable character after unlocking him by beating the game. Soundtrack Not all tracks from the Dreamcast version are present. One main difference is that the tracks do not change automatically meaning that a track select option has been implemented. The Tracks are also shorter :"That's Enough" is 35 seconds long in the GBA version as opposed to its original 4:25, for example. All the tracks are by Hideki Naganuma (except for "Everybody Jump Around" by Richard Jacques). Tracklist *"Humming the Bassline" 0:32 *"Let Mom Sleep" 0:42 *"Sneakman" 0:40 *"That's Enough" 0:35 *"Sweet Soul Brother" 0:30 *"Everybody Jump Around" 1:00 Reception The Game Boy Advance version of Jet Set Radio received positive reviews. It was praised for being faithful to the console versions, in addition to adding new features not found in any other version. Trivia *If the player lets the opening company logo screens progress by themselves, the Sega sound will be the familiar chorus from many Genesis games (like the Sonic the Hedgehog series). However, if the player presses buttons to scroll through them faster, the Sega Scream is played instead. Category:Games Category:Gameboy Advance Games